Miscellaneous Hacks - NoSpam! - an alternative to CAPTCHA images

This hack is for vBulletin 3.6.x. For 3.5.x, please use the one provided in this thread. If you are using 3.7.x, you must use the one in this thread.

This simple hack is meant as a replacement for the default CAPTCHA system in vBulletin. There are two main reasons one might want to do this: firstly, new technology is constantly being developed to crack CAPTCHA images and make spam accounts anyway, and secondly, the more secure the CAPTCHA, the more difficult it is for genuine users to tell what the numbers in the image are. There is also the issue of visually impaired users, and the fact that not all servers are capable of generating CAPTCHA images.

So what does this hack do instead? It asks a question. Any question you want. That's the best part: YOU make up the questions, which means that every forum is unique, which means that it is impossible for spambots to be simply programmed to bypass it at all forums with the hack installed. You can make one or many questions - if you make many, the hack will pick one at random when a guest attempts to register, search, post or send mail through the Contact Us form. Their input is compared with your specified answer, and voil?, if they get it right they're pretty much guaranteed to be human. If they get it wrong, they're given an error message.

It doesn't have to be a complicated question. Heck, you can just make it "Please type 'blah' into this box." Or you can go with inserting a simple image with HTML and ask what is shown on the image. Or you can ask them to tell you two plus two. It's up to you. In fact, this can also be used as a means of forcing people to read the rules by asking for a certain password found there, or if your forum focuses on a specialized subject, ask a question concerning the subject that all your genuine users will be able to answer, but a random troll or "CAPTCHA-sweatshop-reader" will be scratching their head over.

It's simple to install, too: just one product to import, and that's it.


VERSION HISTORY:

3.0: Added functionality to allow users to specify which pages should use NoSpam!.
2.0: Extended the NoSpam! functionality to guest posts, guest searches and guest "Contact Us" in addition to registration.
1.1: Made template edit automatic (with thanks to Cole2026), added ability to have more than one answer to each question, and made answers case insensitive. To upgrade, I recommend undoing the template edit so you won't have to worry about it anymore (replace $nospamfield in the template register with $imagereg, or if you added $nospamfield above $imagereg, just remove $nospamfield altogether), and then reimport the product through the Admin CP (making sure that Allow Overwrite is set to On).
1.0: Initial release.


INSTALLATION:

Please download NoSpam!.zip, not product-nospam.xml, for the tested version. product.nospam.xml is NoSpam! 4.0 adapted blindly to 3.6, i.e. by editing the XML file for the 3.7 version without actually testing it on a 3.6 board. Theoretically it should work, but I cannot guarantee it at this time. If you download NoSpam!.zip and unzip it, it will contain another file called product.nospam.xml, which you should use.

1. Import product-nospam.xml through the Admin CP product manager.
2. Go to your vBulletin options in the Admin CP and select NoSpam! Settings. Once there, turn the system on and input your questions and answers according to the instructions there.

The system should now be functional and running.


UNINSTALLATION:

Just uninstall the product through the Admin CP.


SUPPORT:

Full support will be given here in this thread. All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you and please click "Mark as Installed" if you like it.


If NoSpam! is not working for you or you are looking for something a little different, you might want to check out Advanced Textual Confirmation.

[SaN-DeeP]

Why does numerical "2" always appears in text box for me ?

[SaN-DeeP]

anways, reinstalled with "overwrite" and now fixed.

[Rich]

This doesn't work in Opera browsers.

I just tested this on several different browsers. Each of these browsers are the newest they have out:

IE - Works

Mozilla - Works

Netscape - Works

Flock - Works

Slim Browser - Works

Opera - Does NOT Work

[Smoothie]

works with Opera for me.

[PoetJA-1975]

Originally Posted by Rich

This doesn't work in Opera browsers.

I just tested this on several different browsers. Each of these browsers are the newest they have out:

IE - Works

Mozilla - Works

Netscape - Works

Flock - Works

Slim Browser - Works

Opera - Does NOT Work

I've been using Opera for almost 2 years now-
NoSpam works perfectly for my opera - You may wanna make sure you have the newest version installed - I think it's 9.10

Jacquii.

[Rich]

Version 9.10
Build 8679
Platform Win32
System Windows NT 6.0

I will redownload it and see if perhaps something was amuck. I already checked to see if I had the latest updates, and I do. (I used the "Help" at the top of the browser to check.)

I am not certain why it won't display for me unless it has to do with my OS. I am using Windows Vista.

[captainron19]

Does this work with Version 3.6.5?

[aramik]

ive installed it and all, but it appears it doesn't stop the spam bots too be honest

[antialiasis]

Originally Posted by Rich

This doesn't work in Opera browsers.

I just tested this on several different browsers. Each of these browsers are the newest they have out:

IE - Works

Mozilla - Works

Netscape - Works

Flock - Works

Slim Browser - Works

Opera - Does NOT Work

That quite simply does not make sense; all the code it uses is server-side (meaning the browser will never even know it existed) and then basic HTML which all browsers support. Exactly how is it "not working", anyway? Does the question not appear or what?

Originally Posted by captainron19

Does this work with Version 3.6.5?

I believe somebody posted earlier in the thread that it works fine with 3.6.5; I would be very surprised if it did not, either way, considering I don't believe any of the files that this hack contains plugins in were changed at all.

Originally Posted by aramik

ive installed it and all, but it appears it doesn't stop the spam bots too be honest

There are three possible explanations for this.
a) Your questions aren't good enough. What questions are you using?
b) The spammers at your forum are legitimate human beings or had legitimate human beings register for them, in which case I'm afraid there is no stopping them. Is there anything making you believe they are definitely bots?
c) You forgot to turn it on in the Admin CP. :P

As I have said, this hack is theoretically impossible for a computer at even the most advanced level of AI known in the world today to bypass, as long as the administrator makes up varied enough questions. Thus, if it doesn't stop spam at your forums, nothing will. :/

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by captainron19

Does this work with Version 3.6.5?

Does a bear crap in the woods?